The Star's Apprentice
by Phoenixica24
Summary: A story about Halt when a mysterious star appears in the woods around Redmont Castle. Halt/OC. Please R&R!  Disclaimer: No, I don't own Ranger's Apprentice.  Rating: may get naughty later, haven't decided yet.
1. Chapter 1: Found

The Star's Apprentice:

Arrival:

Chapter One: Found:

Halt whirled and shot, turning again and firing behind him, then twisted the bow and fired behind his back. He stopped and checked his marksmanship. _Not bad,_ he thought. _Especially considering that new trick. I'll have to mention that to Crowley at the Gathering. _

Suddenly his vision was blocked out by a flash of golden-red light, and a whistling filled his ears. Then, just as suddenly, it stopped, and the light faded to a faint glow coming from a nearby ditch.

Halt crept along the forest floor, careful of the autumn leaves. He knelt at the edge and peered into the ditch.

A beautiful young woman lay there, her brilliant red hair fanned out across the scorched ground. Her eyes were closed, the long, curly black lashes resting gently against her rosy cheeks. She had a small, cute but unremarkable nose that tilted upward at the tip, and soft, red lips, the lower fuller than the upper. Just her face was drop-dead gorgeous, but she wasn't just a head. She had a small, slender, wiry, lithe, strong body, showed off by her outfit of a cloth wrapped over her chest and a knee-length triangular-cut skirt. Halt's cheeks heated and he averted his gaze, realizing who-or rather, what-this young woman must be.

"Pauline!" Lady Pauline looked up to see her husband rushing out of the forest, bow strung and apparently forgotten in his hand.

"What happened?" she asked, concerned. "Why aren't you prac-" she stopped. Halt was panting as though he'd been running hard, and his cheeks were flushed a deep red. "What happened?"

" Pauline, do you remember the legends about the stars being female gods who watched over all of us-immortal warrior women in the sky?"

"Yes..." she said uncertainly.

"And how they would come when we most needed them?"

"Yes...Are you saying you found one in the forest?"

"Yes! She's beautiful, but..." his cheeks deepened almost to purple.

"If you blush any more, you're going to look like you're suffocating!" his wife teased. "But what?" she asked, even as she had a horrible suspicion. "Should I get some clothes?"

"She has clothes...just not very much." Halt admitted, not meeting her gaze.. "And she has weapons."

They considered this. "We'll take her into the cabin and I'll stay with her and try to bring her around while you go fetch the Baron and anyone else he deems necessary. Tell him exactly what happened." Pauline decided.

Halt nodded.

"Go on then." And Halt rushed off to saddle Abelard.

Pauline headed to the clearing where she knew Halt liked to practice. From there shesimply followed the glow.

She knelt and peered over the lip. The girl lay right where her husband had left her. She wasn't even sure she was breathing.

She slipped down into the ditch and knelt by her side. She saw the headband the girl wore as a mark of high stature, possibly even royalty.

She checked her breathing and heartbeat, shallow and faint, but steady and even. Definitely alive.

"Can you hear me?" She asked gently. No response. Pauline examined the ground around the star, noting the scorch marks. She also noticed what her husband, in his hurry to respect the woman's privacy hadn't-the blood. No doubt the woman was badly injured.

Hoofbeats thundered towards her, and Halt appeared on Abelard, the Baron on his mount right behind him.

"Let's get her to the castle." the Baron said grimly. The arrival of the star spelled trouble for his kingdom.

"The cabin's closer." Halt pointed out.

"The cabin first, then. I'll send someone with more appropriate clothing and a healer." the Baron replied. "Will you be all right getting her there?"

"Yes." Halt said simply. She needed help badly. Surely she wouldn't mind receiving the help-even if it meant a little invasion.

He gently lifted her, and almost dropped her. She had _wings!_ And a _tail!_ The legends had never mentioned this! Pauline gasped. "How...?"

The more important thing right now was how to heal and wake her. One of her wings was severely broken, the bone jutting through the fragile skin, the brilliant golden-tinged red feathers stained a wet crimson. Halt noted that the colors of her outfit and the feathers and colors of her headband and the decorations on her sword, daggers, and bow all matched the colors of her feathers.

Halt laid her across his saddle, being careful of her injured wing, and walked beside Abelard back to the cabin.


	2. Chapter 2: Last Hope

Chapter Two: Last Hope:

Pain. Wing burning. "Princess! Get yourself out of here! It's going to be a massacre!" Kimalden called. Kila looked at him. He should know she would never abandon her people in battle. "Princess, please go! We cannot afford to lose you now! You're our only hope-you know that! Save yourself and you save all universes! Please..." he begged.

"No, brother. I will stay and fight beside you." she said. Although she spoke calmly, her eyes burned with anger.

"Kila! Go!" he ordered. As her senior, she had to obey him. "They are headed for the world of Amlantuien-they are very close to us. Go and protect them. Go to the country of Araluen-they may be trusted. Tell the king, Barons, and Rangers everything, but let them decide who else to trust, and how much to tell others. Do you understand? They will be our final stand, and you must train them and help them prepare. Now go! Quickly!" he ordered, hugging his little sister. "Go, Phoenixica, Warrior of the Phoenix. Go, and save us!" The army around them bowed in worship.

Kila wrapped her arms around her older brother. Suddenly overcome, she buried her face in his shoulder, barely holding back tears. She quickly kissed his cheek and fled.

She used her last reserves of willpower to summon the very last of her strength, frantically trying to remember where the time was, never mind the country! _Relax,_ she told herself. _Relax and let the prophecy take over._ She forced her muscles to loosen, her mind to wander, and felt her power growing, surging, flowing through her. She gathered it up and channeled it into travel, praying she was headed for the right place.


	3. Chapter 3: Healing

Chapter Three: Healing:

"Has she woken yet?" Baron Arald asked.

"No." Halt replied dully. "She may not have the strength to do much more than exist. She is exhausted."

"Let me know of her progress." was all the Baron could think of to say. He knew Hibernians were close relatives of stars, and that their royalty sometimes married the stars. He knew Halt was the true King of Hibernia. He also knew that this girl was important, possibly royal, and that if she died while under Halt's care, they would all be in trouble in the stars' quest for revenge. The girl's beauty certainly helped them all to worry over her. Even Pauline seemed awed.

"Have you sent for the King?" Halt asked quietly, interrupting the Baron's revelations.

"Yes, he should be arriving soon." Arald laid a gentle hand on Halt's shoulder. "We're doing all that we can for her." He reminded the Ranger. "Nothing could ask for more than that."

Halt just nodded glumly.

They'd attempted to treat her injuries, as washing the blood off revealed more cuts, bruises, ad breakages. Her broken wing was causing the most trouble, as they had no idea how it was supposed to work or fit together, and hence had no way to set it so it could heal.

"Halt..." Lady Pauline began, attempting to soothe her distraught husband. Halt merely turned away, walking swiftly and silently out the door.


	4. Chapter 4: Pain

Chapter Four: Pain:

Kila tried to moan. No, she couldn't even do that. What was wrong with her? She should've been fine months ago! She was caught, trapped, stuck in her power-restoring coma.

_Help me!_ She cried out, but no one replied. Her lips refused to move, form the words. _Someone please! Oh, please, what did I ever do to deserve this?_ And blind terror, black panic overtook her.


	5. Chapter 5: Fighting For Consciousness

Chapter Five: Fighting for Consciousness:

When she resurfaced, she was aware. That was an improvement. She could hear, and feel. She would almost rather not feel. Her wing burned like hell, but the rest of her injuries seemed...healed?

"Halt...I know you're worried, but-"

"Pauline, she's here for a reason, and it's important. From her injuries, we may be needed in a war. It's happened before, when the stars-Atlantians, really, needed help, they came to us."

"To Araluen? Why?"

"No, not to Araluen. To my people. To Hibernia. We are descended from them, and few of us, nobles and royalty, are closer than the rest. We can train with them, learn to harness their powers within ourselves. That must be why she is here."

"Why wouldn't she go to Hibernia, then?"

"Because they don't recognize abdication. She would go to the closest in birth. Since Ferris and Caitlyn are dead, and Sean is a lower generation, that leaves me."

_What? The King of Hibernia is here? In Araluen? Maybe we should keep in touch more..._

"Halt, please. I'm going to send for Will if you don't start helping yourself."

"He's probably busy, Pauline, don't bother him. I'm fine. She's not."

"No, you're not! You're not eating or sleeping or looking after Abelard, or acting at all like the Ranger I first fell in love with all those years ago! I agree she's worse off, but you can't help her by starving yourself and ignoring your duties. If she came to warn us, your inaction could invite those chasing her in! We could all be killed!"

_Thank you, Pauline. I owe you for this. Listen to her, Halt. I came to warn you, but you are not heeding my warning! Look after your world, your people. This Will person may be useful, though..._

"Fine. Send for Will. They'll come here, if they're following her." His voice sounded more in control, more confident, less uncertain, and overall, more together.

_Thank you, Halt._


	6. Chapter 6: Emergency!

**Sorry for the wait! Thanks to Shona and Luvrgirl of books for betaing and reminding me this story exists-respectively. Please R&R!  
**

Chapter Six: Emergency!:

"Will Treaty?" the weary messenger called. "Ranger Treaty, are you there?"

"Yes." the quiet voice came from right behind him!

"I-I have an urgent message from the Ranger Halt for you. He wishes you to travel to Redmont Castle immediately!"

"Did he happen to mention why?"

"No, sir. He just said that you must come quickly. He also said he may meet you on the way." the messenger remembered.

"I'll be on my way." Will said quickly as he rushed inside. He returned with coin for the messenger. "No reply." The messenger nodded and set off.

Will rushed to Castle Redmont. He arrived in record time and fairly flew to Halt's cottage.

"Halt!" he cried. "What's wrong?"

"In here." Halt called from what had been Will's room.

Will walked in and stared at the woman on the bed. "You knocked a random lady up and it's my emergency?"


	7. Chapter 7: Explanations

**A/N: I am seriously considering dropping this story…but anyway, thanks to Azzie for looking it over! **

Chapter Seven: Explanations:

"No!" Halt exclaimed, indignant. "She's hurt, Will. I found her in the forest. She won't wake up." He swiftly explained the situation, with Will's face going from concerned to incredulous to disbelieving.

"You don't believe all this, do you?" he asked Pauline suspiciously.

"You have to admit no human has wings or a tail." she pointed out fairly. "That seems explanation enough for the moment."


End file.
